What is Dyslexia? Get a book and turn it upside down and hold it up to a mirror. Now try to read the words. With the letters flipped and reversed, it's very difficult—if not impossible. Many people with dyslexia see words on the page this way. Certain letters might look backwards or upside down. Or the words might appear blurry or seem to "jump" around.

Dyslexia is a condition that affects a person's ability to read, write, spell and listen. Someone with dyslexia has a hard time making the connection between the way letters look and the sounds of the words. Though, learning may be more difficult for kids with dyslexia, it doesn't mean that they aren't smart. It means they have trouble processing what they see, hear, or write, into meaningful information.

The owl was a bird.Teh owl saw a d bridThe owl was

Some kids with dyslexia reverse the order of letters in a word. Studies indicate that almost 17 percent of the population has dyslexia.

Famous People with Dyslexia

Many successful people have dyslexia. Here are a just a few.

Tom Cruise, actor

Jay Leno, late-night talk show host

Whoopi Goldberg, actor

Kiera Knightley, actor

Jewel, singer

Steven Spielberg, director

Muhammad Ali, boxer

As a student looks at a letter, he hears and writes it at the same time. This is one way that kids with dyslexia learn to read.

People with dyslexia might experience one or more difficulties reading. Letters that look similar might appear as reversed. For instance, a b might look like a d, or a p like a q. Or the letters might appear to swirl about on the page, in constant motion. Words may appear incorrectly spaced, with either too much space between letters and words or not enough, with all the letters squished together.

What Causes Dyslexia?

Scientists believe a glitch in the brain's wiring makes decoding language difficult for some people. Although there is no cure for it, some experts think that if caught early, dyslexia can be reversed. One way to do this is by teaching readers to sound out words, build up vocabulary, and to practice reading. Many dyslexic people discover their own solutions, such as listening to book on tape or asking for extra time to complete tests.